Kinship
by sour gummies
Summary: The Bats. The Flashes. The Arrows. The Martians. Everyone seems to have their own superhero clan, don't they? —Karen, Billy. Anon fic meme fill.


**| Mount Justice  
| March 2013**

"Must be nice," Billy said softly, watching the training room floor.

Karen turned to look. At the center of the room, Batgirl and the new Robin were sparring, their limbs a flurry of blurred punches, kicks and blocks.

"Yeah," Karen said, lip quirking upward. "Powers or no, the Bat-clan sure knows how to throw a punch."

Billy's expression flickered for a moment, though he was still watching the dueling heroes. "Bat-clan," he repeated slowly.

Karen looked at him, then back to the floor. Batgirl kicked out, but the new Robin (it was still hard, thinking of him as just _Robin_) ducked out of range and struck back, managing to get in a punch that knocked her flat.

A high, familiar laugh echoed from the opposite end of the room. "Good job, you guys," Nightwing cackled, walking toward Batgirl with one hand outstretched. "I'll have to tell Batman that you've made good progress since joining the Team. _Both _of you."

Batgirl smiled gratefully and took his hand, rubbing her side ruefully where she'd fallen on it. "Best of three?" she asked Robin with a grin.

Karen looked back at Billy. He was watching Batman's three protégées with an unmistakable expression of longing.

Then, it clicked. "Those three are pretty tight, aren't they," Karen said softly, putting a hand on Billy's shoulder.

He glanced up at her with a tired smile. "I wish I knew what that was like," he said honestly. "I never…I mean, when I'm Captain Marvel, I'm a member of the Justice League. I know heroes from all over the world. And that's _awesome!_"

He looked over again at the three young Bats converged at the center of the room. "But Billy Batson doesn't have any superhero friends. Or even a – "

"A mentor," Karen finished quietly.

Billy nodded sheepishly. "I guess it seems like kind of a dumb thing to get jealous about," he said, his face reddening a bit with embarrassment. "I mean, Cap's got the Wisdom of Solomon to help him, so I don't need any advice, or special training. I don't really need, you know, a _mentor _mentor, someone who'll teach me how to be a superhero instead of a regular kid. I've got Sha– …I mean, I've got that part covered already."

He laughed uneasily, then sighed. "It's just…hard sometimes. Finding anyone who can relate."

Karen thought about her own superhero career – how _hard _it would have been, to even get her wings off the ground without the Atom's guidance. "Does your family know about you...?" she asked carefully, not wanting to overstep her boundaries.

Billy paused, then nodded. "He knows. And he worries about me, sometimes. He listens when I talk about the stuff I do as the Cap."

At the center of the room, Nightwing and Batgirl began circling each other, ready for another round of sparring.

"But it's not really the same thing," Billy finished wistfully, watching them. "To be like…I don't know, like Batman and Nightwing and Batgirl and Robin, how they're all together. All of them are so good at acrobatics and stealth and martial arts and…and they help each other, too. Like Green Arrow and Artemis, or – or the Flash and Wally. I don't know what it's like to be part of a group like that. It must be nice."

Karen wasn't sure what to say. "Maybe you'll find your own clan someday, Cap," she offered with a smile.

Billy smiled back. "Thanks," he said, sounding pleased.

**| Mount Justice  
| March 2016**

" – LOVE it here, Freddy, I know you will, they've got training rooms and a special holographic computer and separate bedrooms for everyone, it's like a hotel for superheroes, almost – "

"Come on, Mary, let him breathe," Captain Marvel said with a laugh, pulling his sister away from the newest addition to the 'Marvel' family. "So – welcome to Mount Justice, CM3. What do you think?"

Captain Marvel Jr. stared dumbfounded at the Cave, mouth agape. "This place is incredible, Billy!" he said in wonder, rushing forward to get a better look at the training room simulator. "And you've been coming here for _six years?_"

Nearby, Bumblebee smiled.


End file.
